te and to
| Pronunciation | /te/ 🔊 |
|---|---|
| Usage | 2023: Obscure4, Rare6 (14% ↗︎ ) Most speakers don't use this word.2022: Rare (11%)
|
| Book and era | nimi ku lili (post-pu) |
| Part of speech | Particle |
| Pronunciation | /to/ 🔊 |
|---|---|
| Usage | 2023: Obscure4, Rare6 (14% ↗︎ ) Most speakers don't use this word.2022: Rare (11%)
|
| Book and era | nimi ku lili (post-pu) |
| Part of speech | Particle |
te and to are obscure quotative particles and nimi ku lili. The word te opens a quotation and to closes it.[1][2]
Etymologies[edit | edit source]
The words te and to were coined in 2020 by kala kala (jan Salan) and jan Lakuse in the ma pona pi toki pona community.[3][4] The word te is derived from Japanese って (Hepburn: tte), and to from と (Hepburn: to).[5]
Function[edit | edit source]
These words serve to set off quoted or indirect speech.
ona li toki sama te jan [TAMO] en jan [SALA] lon ma [TANAKA] to.ona li toki sama te jan Tamo en jan Sala lon ma Tanaka to.[6]
They'd say, like quote Tamo and Sala in Tanaka unquote.
Definitions[edit | edit source]
For Toki Pona Dictionary, respondents in ma pona pi toki pona translated these English words as te and to, respectively:[7]
(opening quotation particle)½
(closing quotation particle)½
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ jan Lakuse [@raacz106]. (27 August 2020). [Message posted in the
#sona-musichannel in the ma pona pi toki pona Discord server]. Discord. Retrieved 23 December 2023. - ↑ jan Lakuse [@raacz106]. (27 August 2020). [Message posted in the
#sona-musichannel in the ma pona pi toki pona Discord server]. Discord. Retrieved 23 December 2023. - ↑ kala kala. (2 April 2020). [Message posted in the
#sona-musichannel in the ma pona pi toki pona Discord server]. Discord. Retrieved 23 December 2023.musi concept word:
Quotative Particle: te
Function: Follows a quote to indicate it is one rather than modifiers or additional info.
Ex.1: jan li toki e pona te la ale li awen ni kin.
If someone says 'pona', everything will stay as such.
Ex. 2: ona li kama! soweli li m[u]: "mi lukin e noka kala a a a" te. taso, soweli ante li lukin li mu e 'o weka e ona' te.
"They're coming. The bear roared. "I see the legs of a fish! Haha!" However, the other bear looked over and roared, "Get rid of it!"" - ↑ Lang, Sonja. (18 July 2021). Toki Pona Dictionary. Illustrated by Vacon Sartirani. Tawhid. ISBN 978-0978292362. p. 24.
- ↑ jan Lakuse [@raacz106]. (27 September 2021). [Message posted in the
#toki=-ponachannel in the ma pona pi toki pona Discord server]. Discord. Retrieved 3 March 2024. "to functions how te/to function in japanese. it's basically directly ripped from japanese". - ↑ jan Juli. (25 April 2021). "nanpa open (1)". kalama sin.
- ↑ Lang, Sonja. (18 July 2021). Toki Pona Dictionary. Illustrated by Vacon Sartirani. Tawhid. ISBN 978-0978292362. pp. 360, 369.
Further reading[edit | edit source]
- "te" on lipu Linku
- "to" on lipu Linku